Ohio State Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies

09/30/2026

Looking for a new book? The Center of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies’ faculty and staff have recommended the best books they read over the summer. From graphic novels to memoirs, there is something for everyone. Grab a warm beverage, pull up a comfy chair and dive in!

https://slaviccenter.osu.edu/news/must-reads-summer-2026

09/30/2026

Last week to enter! CSEEES invites students, faculty, staff, visiting scholars, alumni and community members to enter our annual photo contest. You can submit up to three original photos from Eastern Europe or Eurasia by October 2. Entries should include the photo’s city, country and a brief title. By participating you allow CSEEES to feature your work—with attribution—across our platforms.

Calling all photographers! CSEEES is excited to announce our annual photo contest! Students, faculty, staff, visiting scholars, alumni and members of the public are invited to submit their original photographs from Eastern Europe and Eurasia to [email protected] to be entered into the contest. Each ind...

09/29/2026

This past summer, undergraduate students Rebecca Marzloff, Kristian Nelsen and Marianna Packer received Polish Studies Initiative (PSI) scholarships to participate in the U.S., Europe and the Second World War: Interactions in 20th Century History study abroad program led by Dr. Dave Steigerwald and Dr. John Davidson. Following their travels through Europe, Rebecca, Kristian and Marianna reflected on their experiences and shared what made the program so meaningful.
https://slaviccenter.osu.edu/news/walking-through-history-psi-recipients-reflect-transformative-stay-poland

09/28/2026

This week’s artist is bringing a little Polish pop magic to your playlist! ✨🎶 Check out sanah, one of Poland’s most popular contemporary singers and songwriters. Known for her distinctive voice, poetic lyrics, and blend of pop, indie, and singer-songwriter influences, sanah has captivated audiences with songs that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Her music effortlessly balances emotional storytelling with memorable melodies, making her a standout figure in Poland’s modern music scene. Whether you're looking for heartfelt ballads or catchy pop anthems, sanah offers the perfect soundtrack for the week ahead.
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sanah/215896170
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0TMvoNR0AIJV138mHY6jdE?autoplay=true
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqTRe9EIv0apJgPqkng-Gtw

09/21/2026

Tomorrow! Prospective students are invited to join for a Zoom information sessions to explore graduate programs in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies at Midwestern universities. Representatives from participating institutions will provide brief program overviews, highlight areas of specialization, and answer questions in breakout rooms. Students applying this cycle are especially encouraged to attend, though anyone considering future graduate study is welcome.

Please join representatives of interdisciplinary graduate programs in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at Midwestern Universities to find which program is best for you. Each institution will give a brief introduction of their programs and specialties, and attendees will be able to join br...

09/21/2026

You've heard of K-pop, but have you heard of Q-pop? This week’s artist is bringing a fresh take on Kazakh music and identity. Check out Ninety One, the group credited with popularizing Q-pop, a genre that blends contemporary pop, hip-hop, and electronic influences with Kazakh language and culture. Named for 1991, the year Kazakhstan gained independence, the band represents a new generation of artists embracing both local and global influences. Their rise also reflects Kazakhstan’s diverse cultural landscape, including its Koryo-saram community, whose ancestors were ethnic Koreans forcibly relocated from the Russian Far East to Central Asia during the Soviet era. Today, Kazakhstan is home to one of the world's largest Korean diasporas, and the influence of Korean popular culture has helped shape the evolution of Q-pop. By combining global influences with distinctly Kazakh perspectives, Ninety One has created a sound that is both modern and uniquely their own. 🇰🇿🎶✨
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4ZhOoRZ0JE0enmVPAjkEU2?autoplay=true
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBvkQIEBftsyZ41KQBeUvzA?feature=gws_kp_artist&feature=gws_kp_artist

09/15/2026

All The Ohio State University the students, staff, faculty, visiting scholars and alumni are invited to submit photos to the 2026 International Photography Competition. All photographs must be the original work of the entrant, of high quality and taken outside of the United States. Photographers are invited to submit one photo in each category: People, Places and Arts & Culture.

Submissions are accepted until September 22, 2026 at 12:59 p.m. EST. Link to rules and submission:
https://oia.osu.edu/get-involved/signature-events/international-photography-competition-exhibition

Ohio State Alumni

09/14/2026

This week’s artist is bringing centuries of musical tradition to life! 🎶 Check out Forshpil, a Latvian ensemble that specializes in klezmer and traditional Jewish folk music from Eastern Europe. With lively instrumentals, infectious rhythms, and a passion for cultural preservation, Forshpil recreates the sounds that once echoed through towns and communities across the region. Their music is both a celebration of heritage and a reminder of the diverse cultural traditions that have shaped Latvia and Eastern Europe.
Bandcamp: https://forshpil.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6SwbxWpTqc4kAkxqkmRPUi?autoplay=true
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQF6bD26TcMzcAEHX5_4E3A

09/09/2026

Registration open!

Celebrating 20 Years of ARISC:
Approaches and Directions in the Study of the South Caucasus

September 17-19, 2026 | Virtual Conference
https://site.pheedloop.com/event/ARISC20thConference/home

This conference is an opportunity to reflect on the scholarship produced by ARISC members and friends of ARISC over the past two decades, and to provide a platform to showcase new research by senior researchers, early career scholars, and students alike. At a time when rapidly shifting political circumstances have made research in the South Caucasus challenging, ARISC is providing an open forum for posing new questions, exchanging ideas and methodologies, workshopping works-in-progress, and outlining new research agendas that will propel regional scholarship forward. With this conference, ARISC strives to deepen our understanding of the South Caucasus and renew our commitment to sustaining the ARISC community. The conference language is English.

Conference sponsors: Armenian Research Center, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Center for Armenian Studies, University of Michigan; UCI Center for Armenian Studies; Center for Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies- REEES; Havighurst Center for East European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies; UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies; INSITE-Middle East (UNC); Institute for the Study of the Ancient World; Mashtots Chair of Armenian Studies, Harvard University; Russian, East European, and Eurasian Center; The Arthur H Dadian and Ara Oztemel Chair of Armenian Art + Architecture at Tufts University; Robert F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute; Ohio State Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies; USC Institute of Armenian Studies; USF Institute for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies

09/08/2026

Join CSEEES for the Autumn 2026 Graduate Student Lecture featuring Jay Hadfield, a PhD candidate in Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures whose research explores Russian literature through q***r theory, aesthetic theory, and existential philosophy. In this talk, they will examine the q***r dimensions of Andrey Bely’s modernist novel Petersburg, arguing that questions of gender, sexuality, and the "closet" are central to the text’s narrative and social anxieties. A light lunch will be provided to in-person attendees who register by Wednesday, October 21.
https://slaviccenter.osu.edu/events/cseees-graduate-student-lecture-closet/bomb-andrey-belys-q***r-apocalypse-jay-hadfield